Pagano makes commitment official

06:02 PM, February 6, 2013 |

By Michael Burns

Scott Pagano (6-3½, 280), DT, Moanalua High (Hi.)

Pagano is a four-star prospect ranked the No. 23 defensive tackle in the nation. He recorded 78 tackles, 12½ sacks and five forced fumbles as a high school senior. He’s Clemson’s first signee from Hawaii since Allen Smith in 1986. The U.S. Army All-American chose Clemson over offers from LSU, Alabama, Florida and others.

Pagano possesses great size and looks to be a fairly well put together prospect with good height and bulk, and a frame that could support more good size with time in a college weight program. Though you would like to see a little more consistency, he flashes a very nice initial burst and is capable of creating disruption with some quick penetration at times. With his size and strength, though, he will mainly be a stout interior run defender. He does need to watch his pad level, as he can get tall at times, but he is capable of engaging a blocker, gaining leverage and being able to maintain a good football position. When he does that he can easily stand a blocker up and hold his ground. He displays good upper body strength, and when he shoots his hands he can extend and separate and is able to quickly disengage. When he can get his hands on ball carriers he can finish and displays strong hands to be able to drag them down when he gets cloth. He displays good redirect ability and slightly above average range for his size, though he is will do his damage between the tackles. As a pass rusher he has bull rush ability to help collapse the pocket. He flashes the ability to be violent with his hands in trying to work past blockers, but needs to keep developing as a pass rusher. Pagano has a good combination of size and ability, and with some further development in technique he could become a productive interior defender at the college level.